Commanding attention

Friday

Feb 14, 2014 at 2:00 AM

When people talk about Barnstable High School, what comes to mind is usually the school’s exceptional theater and athletic programs.

Kathleen Szmit

Kathleen Szmit Photo

CHAMPIONS – The Barnstable High School DECA Club, which includes Kevin Schofield, Ryan Palmer, Pat Thompson, Ashleigh Maciolek, Katie Wasierski and Zack Murphy (not pictured), along with economics teacher Kate Scholes – claimed four trophies, two first and two third, in the District 1 competition in January and are now setting their sights on States.

BHS DECA Club wins big at District 1

When people talk about Barnstable High School, what comes to mind is usually the school’s exceptional theater and athletic programs. The DECA Club wants to change that.

“BHS is known for sports and theater,” said DECA member Pat Thompson. “Hopefully we’ll be on that level.”

What is DECA? DECA stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America. In a nutshell, Barnstable’s DECA program includes six business-minded students who came together just this year to create the school’s first DECA Club.

It all began when senior Kevin Schofield, the club’s president, received an email about DECA and brought the information to BHS economics teacher Kate Scholes and longtime friend Ryan Palmer, the club’s vice president.

From there they held a sign-up session, and, a bit overwhelmed with student interest versus a cap on the number of students that can comprise a club, Schofield and Palmer composed letters personally inviting specific members to the group.

This was October and the first competition the group was eligible for was taking place in January. Undaunted, the club of six – Schofield, Palmer, Thompson, Katie Wasierski, Ashleigh Maciolek and Zack Murphy – set to work primarily on fundraising for the District 1 competition in Falmouth.

Club members also researched the nuances of the competition in order to better understand what would be expected of them.

Slightly similar to Destination Imagination, only with a serious business slant, competitors in pairs or singles are presented with business-oriented scenarios that run the gamut from Accounting Applications to the Principles of Marketing.

“It’s strictly business oriented,” said Wasierski, who was given a Travel and Tourism situation in which she and Maciolek had to plan a cruise, including marketing, determining cost per person, number of rooms, ports of call and more.

Palmer and Thompson paired up for a Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team event, one of the more competitive fields, with Schofield and Murphy entering the Principles of Business Management field.

Given the newness of their club, the six members were not expecting to win. Much to their surprise and delight they took home two first place and two third place trophies. Now they’ve got their sights set on the State competition in Boston.

To get there for the two-day event the group will need to raise approximately $500 per student for travel and entry fees. They are determined to go and are doing all they can to raise funds, including writing letters to local businesses.

Their pride in their club is their motivation.

“First off, [the competition] gives you a chance to practice real life skills,” said Thompson, who added that meeting DECA members from other schools was also positive. “One of the great things about [DECA] is that it tests you in all aspects of business – pitching a plan, conversing with adults and gaining knowledge to build a career on.”

“It’s good to try new things, and learn what they’re all about,” said Wasierski. “To test the waters.”

Barber appreciated that the District 1 event offered a glimpse at a real job interview.

“It prepared us for what’s going to be, so we can be successful when we get there,” he said, noting that at first he thought the club might be a little too “nerdy” but now considers it the highlight of his senior year.

Scholes is especially impressed with how determined the club members are.

“They’re tenacious,” she said. “The level of ownership these students have taken in the club is amazing,” she said, citing their countless hours of letter writing, fundraising, planning, meeting with administrators and preparing for competition. “The amount of work they’ve taken on has been really cool to see.”

To support the DECA Club’s Boston competition send checks, payable to Barnstable High School DECA Club, 744 West Main Street, Hyannis, 02601. This is a tax-deductible donation. For more information contact Kate Scholes at scholes_kate@barnstable.k12.ma.us or by calling 508-790-6445..

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